ERIC Number: EJ789505
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 25
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1367-0050
EISSN: N/A
Early Heritage-Language Education and the Abrupt Shift to a Dominant-Language Classroom: Impact on the Personal and Collective Esteem of Inuit Children in Arctic Quebec
Bougie, Evelyne; Wright, Stephen C.; Taylor, Donald M.
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, v6 n5 p349-373 2003
This research explored the impact of the abrupt shift from heritage-language to dominant-language education on Inuit children's personal and collective self-esteem. Specifically, the following question was addressed: will early heritage-language education serve as an inoculation against the potential negative impact of being submerged in a dominant second-language environment, or will it just delay the negative impact of this submersion? Results show that the shift from heritage-language to dominant second-language instruction in Grade 3 was associated with a significant decrease in personal self-esteem. As for collective self-esteem, results show no effects of the abrupt shift into a dominant-language classroom. However, a clear pro-White bias for all Inuit children at both the fall and the spring of Grade 3 emerged. The results suggest that a more gradual introduction to the dominant language may be needed in order to protect minority-language children's personal sense of self-worth. In addition, the data suggest that early heritage-language education did not prevent the development of negative collective self-views for Inuit children in the community and cannot fully protect children from the negative impact of late submersion in dominant second-language instruction. The implications for bilingual education programmes are discussed. (Contains 1 table, 3 figures, and 4 notes.)
Descriptors: Language Dominance, Bilingual Education, Eskimos, Foreign Countries, Grade 3, Eskimo Aleut Languages, Heritage Education, Self Esteem, Second Language Instruction, Language Minorities, Second Language Learning
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 3
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A